Can cover remover



P 7, 1948- (I G. c. ERB 2,448,522

CAN COVER REMOVER Filed Sept. 5, 1945 g 29 2 2 E? 25724 4 2 V [2 .IB I /4 ATTORNEYS Patented Sept. 7, 1948 UNI OF 2,448,522 1 CAN-COVER REMOVERI George G.'-Erb,'Forest -Hil1s =West, N; ass ignor' toAmerican Ca rgompany, New York,-N. Y., a

corporation of New Jersey Application eptember 5, 1945;"Serial N.6145534 11 a 4 Clafinlsw (c1. 220- 43) I The present invention relates to containers for cans having opening devices for removing-reels; sure covers therefrom andhas particular reference to a prying lever" opener which isperma nentlyand loosely attached-to th'ecovers for prying actio'n between "a. cover: and its container at difierent places "around' the cover forprying it from the container. n

An" object of the inventionis the provision'of "a prying lever opener for. l a container wherein the opener is simple in constructionand economical to produce" and which maybe permanently ap pliedto a container reclosurein sucha manner that' it can be shifted around the'periphery of 'the reclosure forprying' action-"at difierent places While at the same time being disposed so that i t I will not interfere 'with stacking of" the containers where such stacking is desired'x Numerous otherobjects and advantages of the invention will be apparent: as it is be'tte'r under stood from the following descriptirm, which; tak '1-'- in' connection -with the" accompanying drawings; discloses a preferred embodiment thereofl Referring to the drawing- Figure l is a perspectiveview"of 'asealedeoii tainer' embodyingthe instaht ihveii-tidn 2' V Fig. 2 is anenlarged vertical"sectidnal view 'oi the upper portion of the container shdwn in Figi l, l withtparts shown 'in elevation; l

Fig. 3 is an enlarged side View of the upper 305 ortion of the container, with parts broken away and shown in 'section and with the" 'op'ening de- Vice in 'one'of itspo'sitions' incidental -to' remo ving the container cover; and

Figsi 4 and 5 are enlargedJ sectional details taken substantially "along" the respective" line's 4"-'4,'5-5 in Fig. 2. 2

As a: preferred embbuimenteithe inventidn the drawings illustrate a sheet metal cylindrical can H having top and bottorncountersunk panel end tion or"portion' l6 (Fig. 2) which extends up from a. countersunk panel I! and terminates in an inwardly extending'curled'ed'ge l8 the top of which is disposed in a plane preferably flush with or slightly above the top edge of the double seam' 2 the'can. The:upper; end of the wall sectionfll mergesiinto a curved fiange125 which extends over the curled edge iii of the container andthis flangeportion-merges into a depending outer annularcover wall section 26". The outer wall' section ex-* tends 'downadjacent the necksection 16 of'the containersin spaced relation thereto, as shown in Fig.- 2, and terminates in a smooth annular edge" curl ror pry.--.off edge 2|.---

Theouter wallwsection 2t-and-the inner wall section 2t; -connectedaby the curved flange 25; P

thus-set off an inverted 'U-shaped channel 21% which encloses the curled edge 18' and the *neck section 66 when the cover 22 is in place on -'the' cans- A sealing gasket' 29 of rubber comp'ound'or otheri suitable material is disposed in the channel 28'and thus'provides a hermetic seal-between the cover flange25 and the curled edge l8 oi the can. A. pry-offopening -lever:- 35"is provided for -pry' ingot. the cover 22"when-it is' desired-to open the can-r This lever is made-preferably'of heavy sheet metal-andis-permanently"andloosely attached to the outer: depending wall-"section 26- of the -'coverso it can be shifted around the peripheral edg'e of the cover to' any desired-place topry the cover loose. The "opening lever includes a relatively long *curved vertical side wall- 36 (Figs. 1, and. 4) which is -disposed =normally adjacent to and parallel with -the "edge curl '21 of the cover-22. One endzotthe lever is formed with a handle-on actuating I pad*- 31 which extends outwardly from and at'right' angles to'th'e upper-edge of the curvedwanes, i

The opposite ?end of the wall section 3B-is formed with an upwardlydisposedrounded-cam edge- 38w Intermediate the ends 'of the lever, closely-adjacentsthe cam end, :the curvedwall sec tion-36 is 'formed with a narrownlocking lug 39' (Figsu-Z and 4) which extends laterally and. in wardly-under the edge-rcurl orpry-ofiedge 2! of the icoverv 22 and then upwardly at right angles into-the space between-the outer depending wall sectionr2fi -of thecover and the uprightneck wall *1 section-EH5 of -th'ewcan; as bestushown in 'Figr l. The --upper inner end of I this-dug terminates 1 closely adjacent the gasket 29 in the channel 285' Cooperating 'Wit/hf the locking lug 39-to hold the pry-ofi-leveronthe cover is alateralwallor shelf section which extends inwardly from the upper [4. This curled edge l8 defines a dispensing openedgeot the leversidewall section -36=- Thislateral ing IQ for the container.

The dispensing opening I19 is sealed with areclosure cover'or cap 22. -'This reclosure cover is formed-with a= countersunk dome shaped panel 23 (Figs. 2, 4 and 5) theouterperi-pheral edgezibf which merges into an upright or upstanding annular inner friction wall section 24." This annular wall section frictionally engages against the i'nner' surface of the curled edge-t8 of the'container arid thus holds the cover in place when the cover is on 6017 wall section 4-2ex'tends substantially from theiac tuatingpad 3-1 rearwardly of the-leverandis' adapted- :to contact 'withthe top surface or the cover pry-off edge 21 "to supportthe lever and to hol'd' it in=its normal or inoperativepositionj as shown' ini Fig. 1. Near the cam en'd of the lever the lateral. wall: section 42 durves'or extends u wardl'y l and "terminates opposit'e i the locking lug 3B-in clo'se ,p'roximit'yito the outeri'surface of the dependingwallsection 260i the cover (Fig.4) 1 l 4 wall portion extending along one edge thereof for supporting the lever on the pry-off edge of said cover, said lateral wall portion terminating adjacent the outer surface of said depending outer wall of the cover, said lever adjacent its cam end having a locking lug extending beneath said cover pry-off edge and thence outwardly becover to different places. for prying the 'cover' loose. This prying action is readily effected at any desired place around the cover, by a mere lifting of the lever by its actuating pad 3], as best shown in Fig. 3.

This lifting action brings the cam edge 38 of the lever 35 into engagement against the countersunk panel I! of the top end member l2 and with this cam edge as a fulcrum the locking lug 39 engages against the bottom surface of the pryoif edge 21 of the cover and thus pries the cover loose with the continued lifting of the lever.

With such a construction of opening lever, the lever is disposed normally in an inoperative position in the space between the cover and the end seam of the can and is thus in an out-of-the way place where it is always ready for use and at the same time protected against injury. In this normal position the lever in no way interferes with stacking of the cans l I if such stacking is desired.

It is thought that the invention and many of its attendant advantages will be understood from the foregoing description, and it will be apparent that various changes may be made in the form, construction and arrangement of the parts without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention or sacrificing all of its material advantages, the form hereinbefore described bein merely a preferred embodiment thereof.

I claim:

1. A container comprising in combination, a neck wall portion projecting outwardly from and surrounding an opening therein and terminating in a curled seat edge, a reclosure cover for said opening, said cover having a peripheral channel engageable over said curled seat edge and defined by an inner upstanding wall frictionally engageable with said curled seat edge and an outer depending wall disposed in spaced and substantially parallel relation to said inner wall and to said neck wall portion, said outer wall terminating in a curled pry-off edge, and a cover pryofi lever permanently and loosely connected with the curled pry-off edge of said cover and movable around said cover for prying action between the pry-01f edge and a part of the container at any locality, around the cover'for removing the cover from the container, the connection between said lever and the cover including a lug on the lever extending into the space between said contairfier neck wall portion and said depending cover wa 2. A container comprising in combination, a neck wall portion projecting outwardly from and surrounding an opening therein and terminating in a curled seat edge, a reclosure cover for said opening, said cover having a peripheral channel engageable over said curled seat edge and defined by an inner upstanding wall frictionally engageable with said curled seat edge and an outer depending wall disposed in spaced and substantially parallel relation to said inner wall and to said neck wall portion, said outer wall terminating in a curled pry-off edge, and a cover pry-off lever disposed adjacent said curled pry-off edge and having a cam end, said lever also having a lateral tween the depending outer wall of said cover and said outwardly projecting container neck wall portion to a locality adjacent the lateral wall portion of the lever for permanently and loosely connecting the lever to the cover, whereby said leveris freely movable around the cover and vertically tiltable to bring its cam end into engagement with the container with a prying action at will around the cover for removing the cover from the container.

3. A container comprising in combination, a neck wall portion projecting outwardly and surrounding an opening therein and terminating in a curled seat edge, a reclosure cover for said opening, said cover having a peripheral channel engageable over said curled seat edge and defined by an inner upstanding Wall frictionally engageable with said curled seat edge for holding the cover in place on the container and by an outer depending Wall disposed in spaced and substantially parallel relation to said inner Wall and to said container neck wall portion, the depending outer wall of said cover terminating in a curled pry-off edge, and a cover pry-ofi lever having inwardly extending spaced lateral extensions disposed on opposite sides of said cover pry-off edge and terminating in opposing relation on opposite sides of the depending outer wall of the cover for permanentlyand loosely connectin the lever with the cover, one of said lever extensions terminating in an outwardly projecting locking lug dis posed in the space between said container neck wall portion and said outer depending cover wall, whereby said lever is freely movable around the cover for prying action between said coverpryofi edge and the container at any locality around the cover for removing the cover from the consaid container, the attachment of said lever to.

the cover including a lever part engageable exteriorly of the cover curl and an opposed lever part engageable interiorly of said curl and extending into the space between said container wall and said depending cover wall.

GEORGE C. ERB.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record'in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,608,455 Zecha et ale Nov. 23,1926 1,978,487 Courtney Oct. 30, '1934 2,303,205 Frankenberg Nov. 24, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 12,202/33 Australia May 14, 1934 

